Thursday, February 25, 2016

2015 AGILITY YEAR IN REVIEW

A little late in posting, but here it is. We started our agility season at the February 4 PAWS trial in Holly Springs. KK was a good little girl, earning her Advanced Pairs Title and a Master Jumpers Q at 6.5 yps. We did a couple of AKC agility trials and she earned her Master Jumper Title and several other Q's.

We went to Shreveport USDAA in April and she was a little rock star. She went 7/8 Q's, winning Steeplechase and winning a Grand Prix bye. The judge was great and went out of his way to compliment KK. He asked me how old she was and said he thought she was young and that he liked my little dog. A simple compliment can really build you up. I think I held my head up a little higher and it felt like KK and I were becoming a real team that weekend.

The very next weekend we went to Garland, TX and once again KK proved her 3 year old little self. She went 6/9 Q's and earned 4 titles: Advanced Agility Dog, Advanced Standard, Advanced Snooker and Master Jumpers. She was a little girl on fire with almost all of her Q's were 1st places. It was at this trial that I started feeling sick. We chalked it up to the warm weather, but it wasn't going to be that simple.

Over Mother's Day weekend we did another USDAA trial and while she had a fairly good trial, I was under the weather and KK was also a little under the weather.

Towards the end of June we did a NADAC trial and KK was on fire! She went 11/12 Q's, all 1st places! And she finished 3 titles: Novice Standard, Novice Jumpers and Novice Tunnelers. We did an AKC trial in West Monroe at the end of the month. Jumper, FAST and T2B Q's.


July found us at Purina Farms for USDAA. I was very sick that weekend and we managed to lock ourselves out of our RV and were stuck outside until after 11PM the second night. Despite the odds, KK earned her first Master Snooker Q!! We also did another NADAC trial and once again KK was great.  She went 7/10 and earned her Novice Weavers and Open Tunnelers Titles.

August we did our last AKC trial. More Fast and T2B Q's. After this trial, I decided to not run AKC for awhile. We just don't have fun and I feel the pressure there. Too much negativity. As soon as we get there, I'm ready to leave and that doesn't make for a fun weekend. My time and money is better spent on other venues.

We did one last USDAA trial in Shreveport in September. I was still not well but KK managed Q's in Master Snooker and Jumpers.

Knowing my shoulder surgery was on the horizon, we decided to do one last NADAC trial in Terrell, TX. KK was her usual steady self, Qing 8/11 runs and earning her Open Standard Title and Outstanding Open Standard Title. She really enjoyed the freedom NADAC courses allow. I love letting her run like she can and believing in her. It was at this trial that I got to run Marley again after 2 1/2 years. She ran Novice Weavers (never again, says Marley) and Open Tunnelers. After not being in the ring for so long, and actually being a little spooky, she ran! And she Q'd in Tunnelers. There is no words to describe the feeling of getting to run Marley again.


2015 was a great year. Although there were many lows, the highs far out rank the lows. It was a great agility year. 12 titles and a GP bye!! Not bad for a 3y/o who competed just 7 months last year. My little champ!